Koodalalagar or Koodal Azhagar Temple Madurai

This is an important Vishnu temple in Madurai very close to the Meenakshi Amman temple. It is a Divya Desam temple. Very ancient, it is mentioned in the Sangam Literature of the 1st century BCE to 2nd century CE. But the current structure was originally built by Pandian kings between the 9th and 12th centuries (with some Chola input) and extensively renovated during the Vijayanagar and Nayakkan periods between the 14th and 16th centuries, it has layers of history embedded in it. There is an inscription from the 8th century. The sanctum has 3 levels and is one of only two temples where you can see Lord Vishnu in all 3 poses - sitting (on the main level), lying (on the second level) and standing ( on the 3rd level). There is a small fee to access the upper levels. The style of the Vimanam (it is eight sided - Ashtanga Vimanam) suggests the 10th century. Absolutely stunning architecture. Look carefully at the sculptures and you may be able to see that they were crafted at different time periods.

We visited in August 2019. Base Madurai.

Introduction - Lesser Known Temples and Other Sites of Tamil nadu

The southern state of Tamil Nadu in India is known for its temples. It is often called the Land of Temples. Numerous temples big and small exist here. The Hindu and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu is said to have 38,615 temples on its roster according to sources. There are others too. The tradition of temple building in the Tamil country is several hundred years old. You find ancient temples here as well as very modern ones. Some are active places of worship while others are historical sites that are not active or partially active. The sites of some of these temples are very ancient and their dates of origin are obscure. The structures that we see today are up to 1500 hundred years old or older. Most temples are Hindu temples belonging to the Saivite or Vaishnavite traditions. There are places of worship belonging to other faiths that are very old too. All these sacred places are very important from cultural, artistic and architectural points of view. Some are well known, while others are less well known.

Our objective is to highlight these sites, mostly temples, that are less well known, through a series of posts over time. Some posts will highlight a particular temple or site while others will be about subjects that are related. These subjects might relate to history, an architectural element, iconography or other cultural aspect that might make the experience of visiting these places more meaningful. Others will concentrate on helping travellers plan their trips to visit some of these remote locations  Your reason for visiting might be religious, spiritual or due to curiosity to learn about a culture and civilization that is several hundred, perhaps thousands of years old. Whatever your reason and motivation might be, we invite you to visit this intriguing land. There is more to Tamil Nadu than what the basic travel guides will tell you. You might be an Indian from the cities or a foreigner. If you are are foreigner, you might be a diaspora Indian or Tamil person wanting to know more about your heritage or someone wanting to learn about this ancient culture. Whatever your background maybe, you might find these posts interesting.

These are mostly temples and sites we have visited. These posts are not meant to be comprehensive guides. They are introductions for the reader to explore further. I hope to give you some insight and tips if you ever plan to visit.